


Good Deeds

by Always_Lumi



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Aged Up, Angst and Fluff, Highschool AU, M/M, except gwen and david ofc, oh yeah and no smut ya fucks, theyre all seniors, this will probably suck lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 09:39:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16616516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Always_Lumi/pseuds/Always_Lumi
Summary: Summaries are overratedJk it's a highschool au short story with my boys max and neil uwu guess you'll have to read it to  find out





	Good Deeds

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you're happy payge

"That's everything." The boy in blue wiped his hands as the taller boy struggled to handle the unreasonably large stack of papers in his lap. 

"Geez, Max, this is enough work to be assigned for an entire month! Are you sure you're not just writing up your own assignments to keep me busy?" Neil questioned, having to peek around the papers to see him. 

"Well, some of them I just forgot to give to you when they were assigned, everything else is the homework for the rest of this week." Max responded, brushing an autumn leaf off his shoulder that had fallen from the tree above them. "I thought I'd be generous and give them to you ahead of time so you'd have more time to get it done."

Neil rolled his eyes, readjusting his grip on the papers, stamping his foot over one that had fled from the stack and landed on the ground. He cleared his throat as Max began to walk away. "Hey, aren't you forgetting something?"

Max looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hm...nope, I'm pretty sure that's all I have assigned right now."

Neil shook his head. "N-No Max, that's not what I meant. I just meant- I dunno, I've been doing all your work for you since, like, junior year. Don't you think I- uh, deserve to get something out of it?"

Max blinked and shrugged. "You have my everlasting token of gratitude? Besides, you're the one who offered to do my work in the first place."

"No, I offered to help you with your work, but you never listened so I just did it for you because I didn't want you to get in trouble for not having it." Neil retorted.

"Yeah, that's how friendship works, Neil! You help me out, and I help you out in return!" Max gave Neil a nudge that almost sent all the papers spilling off his lap.

"What do you help me out with??" Neil asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Max raised an eyebrow. "Well for starters, I've kept your little secret for all these years, and I haven't told a single soul."

Neil narrowed his eyes even more. "You told Nikki!"

Max shrugged. "She was already catching on, so she pretty much already knew anyways."

"And you told Gwen!"

"She doesn't give a shit!!"

Neil huffed, unsatisfied with Max's answers. "That's hardly the worst of my problems. I wouldn't even call that helping, just basic human decency that you didn't go spouting out my secrets to everyone in this highschool."

"And if we weren't friends I would spout your secrets to the entire fucking school."

Neil just sighed in defeat, not having the time or energy to further the argument. "Okay, Max. Thank you for keeping your mouth shut."

"Hey, anytime." Max shrugged, glancing at the time on his phone. "Oh, I better get home. Before Gwen and David start worrying." He picked up his backpack from their meeting bench and slung it over his shoulder. "I'll see you later, and, uh, thanks. For the help I mean." 

"It's what friends do, right?" Neil shrugged, giving a halfhearted smile as the shorter boy headed home with his earbuds in his ears. "...be seeing you." He murmured well after Max had advanced down the hallway, leaving him feeling lonely and weighted down. Literally and figuratively. That stack of papers was not light. 

He could have asked to walk home with Max, as their houses were in the same direction, only a few blocks apart. But once Max put in those earbuds it was like trying to talk to a wall. It was his way of dissociating, so he didn't have to talk to anybody and had an excuse to say he couldn't hear you. Even though most of the time he could, he just chose to ignore the voices that call his name. 

Max wasn't incredibly social, but he wasn't exactly an introvert like Neil, either. Neil didn't know hardly any of Max's other friends, besides Preston and Nikki. Whether it was because he never talked about them or he simply didn't have any others was unbeknownst to Neil.

So Neil walked home without Max like usual, but not completely alone- the green haired girl bounced alongside him, talking without stopping to take a breath to talk about her day. Nikki lived with Neil, and was basically his step sister, since her mom and his dad hooked up and now they're stuck together. Neil didn't mind it though; she was good company when he felt lonely. The only person he did mind was Candy, Nikki's mom. She was a gold digger, and Neil knew it. Numerous times he had caught her returning in the early morning from an affair, but whenever he questioned her she would get upset at Neil for being up so late. He'd tried voicing his concerns to his father, but she's somehow got him convinced she's completely loyal to him and only him. 

Oh well. We'll see the look on his face when she has a baby that oddly resembles one of his best friends.

He'll probably kick her out, then. Neil won't be feeling bad for her, only Nikki who has to be dragged through all the dirt her mom kicks up.

"And then Ered punched Pikeman in the face and- Neil, are you even listening?" 

Nikki's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Oh- I'm sorry, Nikki. I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"I'll say." She said, eyeing the papers in his arms. "Is that all Max's work?"

"I keep my work in my backpack." Neil responded, hugging the papers to his chest. 

"Why do you let him do that to you?" Nikki asked, raising an eyebrow. "Does he give you his lunch money? Scare away your bullies? Suck your dick??"

Neil snarled at her, screwing up his nose. "That's absurd, Nikki. I do it for free, because I'm a good friend. Not everything needs payment, sometimes it's rewarding just to do a good deed."

"Cheating is hardly a good deed, but if you say so." Nikki shrugged, skipping alongside him.

"He's struggling, and I'm helping him out. Call it what you will. I call it being a good friend."

"And I call it 'he's taking advantage of you'." 

"Preposterous." Neil replied, glaring at her. "He helps me out in return. So it's not exactly for free, but...kinda."

"And how exactly, does he help you out?"

Neil puckered his lips. "...well, he, uh...keeps my secret?"

"What secret? That you're gay??"

Neil glanced around wearily. "Y-Yeah, that one."

Nikki rolled her eyes. "That's hardly a secret Neil. Everybody knows that."

Neil gave her a look of fear. "What? What do you mean everybody knows that?"

Nikki shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Is there any other way he helps you out."

Neil thought for a moment. "He...uh...there's that one time he...no..wait- OH! That time he- no wait, that was Harrison. Uh..."

"Exactly." Nikki said, shaking her head. "He's using 'friendship' as an excuse for you to do his bidding."

"He would never! And even if he did- I'm not stupid enough to fall for it!" 

"Then why are you walking home with a mile high stack of Max's papers unable to come up with a good reason you should be doing his work?"

"BECAUSE HE'S MY FRIEND!!"

"Friends don't do this to each other! He's manipulative, you know this, Neil! He can get almost anyone to act as his puppet and get them to do anything he wants!"

Deep down, Neil knew she was right. A sickening feeling curled up in his stomach. He didn't want to believe it was true. He didn't want to accept she was right. He just wanted to believe Max really wasn't using him. He made a pathetic whine, looking away from Nikki. He liked Max. Really, really liked him. He had for a long, long time. The suggestion of his clawed at his stomach with harsh betrayal and heartbreak.  
"I know it's hard to accept, Neil, but you've got to talk to him. Don't do his work, tell him you're willing to help him with it but you're not gonna do it for him anymore. Don't let him use you. If he's really your friend, he won't stop talking to you because of this. He'll stay by your side regardless and have your back anyways. Besides, you're not completely leaving him in the dark."

Later on that night, once Neil had finished his own work, he thought deeply and heavily on Nikki's suggestion. It was a good one- but Neil hated confrontation. He'd honestly rather just continue doing all Max's work, handing it back to him all nice and completed and with a smile, and the belief that Max truly had his back and would sacrifice a lot for him, if that was ever necessary. But he simply couldn't disregard Nikki's input. He eyed the papers on his desk. 

'Just this last time, I'll do his work. When I hand it back to him, I'll tell him- I'll tell him I'm not going to do it for him anymore.'


End file.
